Ways to Proactively Protect Your Engine

The majority of the time most of us don't spend a lot of time thinking about our engines. We hop into the car, turn the key and head out to wherever we're going. When we do notice the engine, however, it's usually when we hear it making sounds we're not accustomed to hearing or when the car feels a little different than it did before.

Engines need to be looked after. They need a check-up every now and then, and they also require some regular maintenance to keep them in good running condition. To help you take proper care of your engine and to keep it from creating serious problems, we've put together this list of 10 ways to proactively protect your engine.

Stay on top of these suggestions and your engine will run better, last longer and keep you from shelling out more cash later on down the road.

Change the Oil Regularly

Changing the oil regularly is one of the most important things you can do for your engine. If don't read any of the other ways to protect your engine (but we really hope you do) make sure to do this one. Oil keeps vital engine parts well lubricated so that they won't overheat. Your engine can't function without it and if you go too long between oil changes it can cause permanent damage to your engine over time.

Suggestions for when you should change your oil will vary, but the most recent standard for modern cars is to change the oil every 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers). Some engines can go longer while some older engines may need it sooner than that. Since we're talking about proactively protecting your engine, make sure to look up what your car's manufacturer suggests for your specific vehicle's oil change interval. If you can't find your car's manual, do a quick search online to find out when it should be changed.

We can't mention changing the oil without also stressing that the oil filter needs to be replaced at the same time. The oil filter catches all the dirt and debris floating around inside of your engine and keeps the junk from circulating back through engine. With a new filter and new oil, your engine will run smoothly, and most importantly, it'll keep all the internal parts of the engine cool and well lubricated. 

Keep the Cooling System Working

In addition to changing the oil, there's another part of keeping the engine cool that you can't overlook -- the cooling system itself. The cooling system includes the radiator, thermostat, water pump and coolant. The easiest way to protect your engine from overheating is by making sure you have the proper amount of coolant (radiator fluid) circulating throughout your engine.

The coolant circulates through your engine when the thermostat determines that the engine is getting hot and needs to be cooled down. The water pump then pulls coolant from the radiator, sends it into the engine block and then back out to the radiator to be cooled back down. To check the coolant level, lift the hood and look at your coolant tank. It's a clear tank with a green or orange colored liquid in it. Make sure the coolant is above the minimum mark but below the maximum mark.

If you notice that your car is overheating and you know that there's enough coolant, take your car to a mechanic and have them run a cooling system check. The cost to find and replace a problem with the cooling system ahead of time will far outweigh the damage done to your engine if it ever overheats.

Keep the Engine Breathing

Imagine training for marathon. You work out, run every day, eat right and give your body the proper amount of rest. But when the marathon day comes, you forget to do one thing: breath. You can guess how well you'd perform. Cars need a constant flow of air just like we do. Aside from fuel, air is the next essential ingredient in keeping your engine running. The air needs to be coming into the engine continually, without restriction and without debris.

Air filters keep all the outside junk like bugs, leaves and dirt from getting inside of your engine. Over time, these filters can get clogged with dirt and need to be replaced. Depending on your driving habits and road conditions, an air filter can usually last a long time. But if the filter is allowed to get too dirty and not doing its job efficiently, it can either starve your engine for oxygen, let in too much junk -- or both.

When you change your oil, take a look at your air filter and see if it looks clean. Replace it if necessary to keep that engine running smoothly and protect it against the all those bugs and other road debris that ends up on your front bumper.